Rules Are Meant to Be Broken/Two
"This, kits, was seasons and seasons ago. Redpoppy wasn't even born then, see, and I was a kit with her eyes just open. There was a she-cat in ThunderClan, long gone, let me tell you, and she was a bit of a rebel...her name was Foxclaw. Foxclaw was my mother's best friend's littermate. Moonwillow, my mother, and Iceshade were closer than littermates - which was what Iceshade and Foxclaw were, however, they didn't behave as such. The two were polar opposites, and not just in pelts (Iceshade being a tiny little white she-cat with eyes bluer than the river in RiverClan, while Foxclaw had a pelt as red as flame and eyes like the grass), but in personalities and Clan rankings. While Foxclaw was bold, brash, and beautiful, Iceshade was quiet and humble, and not as much of a looker as her sister. As well as being small and white-furred, Iceshade was a medicine cat, whereas Foxclaw was the fiercest warrior ThunderClan had seen in ages. It was leaf-bare, and snow covered the ground like a thick, cloudy blanket. Every cat was hungry, as was every Clan. Even RiverClan had been looking gaunt at the Gathering the previous night. The river had frozen over, and their whole food source was automatically gone. Rather uneager to see the struggles of his Clan, Thistlestar trudged out of his den with downcast eyes, watching only his paws and not where he was headed. The next thing he knew, he was splayed on his flank in the dusty floor of the gorge, vision a tad unfocused but otherwise unharmed. Looking exceedingly embarrassed was Moonwillow, whose sleek gray pelt was looking a bit ruffled. Her blue eyes flashed apologetically as she waved her tail in humiliation, unable to help her leader heave himself to his feet. "Yes, Moonwillow?" the elderly leader rasped once he had hauled himself upright. Still embarrassed, Moonwillow spoke quickly. "Iceshade and Foxclaw are gone, see. Iceshade promised me she would help me train Sorrelpaw - we're done training, now, but Iceshade never showed up." Thistlestar frowned, waving his tail. As a particularly gusty breeze swept through the camp, the cats' pelts fluffed up to protect themselves from the wind. Thistlestar beckoned for Moonwillow to follow him beneath an overhanging rock so that his voice would not be lost over the howl of the wind. "We'll send out a patrol if they're not back by sunset," Thistlestar said, as though confident that the pair would return. The sun was already close to sinking in the sky, and Moonwillow was pacing frantically by the camp's entrance, her fur fluffed up around her like a giant silvery cloud. Her whiskers twitched every time one of her Clanmates approached her, and she sent them away with a disgruntled growl and a flashing glare. Her claws sank into the dusty ground, flexing in and out, in and out, until Thistlestar padded up to her, looking somewhat wary and resigned. "Get Hollyheart and Featherblaze, look at the borders," he mumbled, sweeping his tail across the snow-spotted earth. Moonwillow nodded, scampering to the warriors' dens and ordering the two unfortunate cats out of their nests. A bleary black tom and brown tabby she-cat emerged, blinking drowsiness out of their eyes as they followed their solemn friend out of camp. ○ They found the sisters' scents leading out of ThunderClan land - and into ShadowClan's. Though the others were wary of crossing the border into enemy territory, Moonwillow was set firmly on getting her best friend back - besides, Starkit loved Iceshade; she would be miserable without the senior warrior to keep her company when her mother was training her apprentice. Moonwillow plunged into the pine forest without a second thought. The three didn't get too far, however. Six cats, silhouetted against the star-strewn sky, appeared over a small hillock, their pelts indistinguishable, only dark shapes with perked-up ears. Eyes flashed in the dim light, and Moonwillow took a hesitant step back along with Hollyheart and Featherblaze. A tom stepped into the light cast by the half-moon. He had thick white fur like the moon, and two black paws. His amber eyes sparkled with malignance, and a smirk slipped onto his face as he surveyed the scrawny ThunderClan cats in front of him. "And what do you happen to be doing here? Not stealing prey, I sure hope." His grin of triumphance widened as though he knew this was what they were doing. "W-We're looking for our friends," stuttered Hollyheart, speaking when Moonwillow's voice deserted her. "Friends?" the tom said delicately. He flicked his tail, and his five Clanmates melted out of the shadows. "Shrewface, Brindletalon, make sure the she-cats can't escape. I want them to watch their friend die - just as they should have watched the others." He leered, broken, yellow teeth parting to let out a swirl of foul breath that caused Moonwillow to cough as her friends pulled her back. Out of nowhere, a red shape rocketed, slamming into the smelly-breathed white tom and knocking him down the small hill. He tumbled to a halt, and with a dazed snarl, began his staggering ascent. Shrewface and Brindletalon started forward, but the newcomer lashed out at them, raking the two cats across the faces and sending them reeling back in pain. She turned grimly to the others - Moonwillow, Hollyheart, and Featherblaze - sparking a flash of recognition in their eyes. With a disgruntled grumble, a klutzy white she-cat staggered out of the trees as well. Iceshade. "Run!" shouted Foxclaw as the two other ShadowClanners came to their senses, jerking forward with outstretched claws. The fiesty she-cat sank beneath a tangle of tooth and claw, screeching insults as she tore at her assaulters with bone-sharp claws. Moonwillow, Iceshade, and the others cast one pitiful look at Foxclaw, then streaked away into the night. ○ "Yes, Foxclaw died, but she died an honorable death in battle. Aquakit, every cat deserves to die honorably, no matter how many rules they break! Yes, Brokenstar broke a bunch of rules, Ashkit, but that's not the point. Snow falls from the sky, that's correct. Let's hand this next one over to Bramblepath..."